


north is the color of home

by LadyMarshmallow



Category: Blue Lock (Manga)
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fic snippets and snapshots of moments, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Romance, no beta i die by my own sword
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26696890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMarshmallow/pseuds/LadyMarshmallow
Summary: Sometimes, home is a roof and four walls, a kitchen and a bedroom.Most times, home is the gentle rumble of laughter and the soft tinkling sound of wind chimes.Or a collection of moments that prove the old saying that home is really where the heart is.
Relationships: Barou Shouei/Kunigami Rensuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	north is the color of home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> It feels like it's been forever since I wrote something for this fandom, but I need to get these ideas out and spread that BaroKuni love. I haven't forgotten my BaroKuni agenda for 2020, you know.
> 
> Anyway, this fic is dedicated to like the five people who ships BaroKuni lmao.
> 
> Enjoy!

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

The place they found is a single storey house with pale peach walls and two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a dining area fit for four. It's a tiny thing that's neither new nor old, with a creaky front door that doesn't quite close right until someone kicks its bottom-left part with just the exact amount of force.

It's not perfect, not by a long shot, at least not when compared to the mansion they're originally planning to get, but it feels _ right _ . 

It's love at first sight for both Barou and Kunigami. There's no way they're letting the house go after seeing its yard — wide and spacious, covered with grass so vibrant it almost feels surreal — the two of them already thinking of where they can set up a goal post.

Of course, buying the house is no hassle, but moving in certainly is.

Not that it's that big of a problem either because Kunigami manages to strongarm his friends into helping them. Although, perhaps, that is a bit of an exaggeration, Barou muses absently as he watches Isagi and the others fold upon Kunigami's request with minutes to spare. Monsters they may be, but they're still so weak, easily and shamefully crumbling beneath Kunigami's pleading gaze. 

So one video call and two days later, everyone has found themselves carrying cleaning supplies and boxes of varying sizes into the small and simple house tucked within the quiet street just three blocks away from the sports centre.

It's a bit crowded with more than eleven people present, but Barou thinks it's worth it after he's witnessed a couple of embarrassing moments that he can use as blackmail later. Besides, it's entertaining and almost a little comical seeing Isagi, the most feared football player in the nation, stumble while carrying a box with less than one-third of his weight. Adding to his amusement, Barou catches sight of Bachira introducing Daddy Longlegs, or so he lovingly claims, to Chigiri, who is looking at the large, long-legged spider resting comfortably on top of Bachira's palm with a mixture of fear and disgust.

"Keep that away from me, or I swear I will stab you with a spoon," Chigiri threatens, all the while backing away from Bachira and his new eight-legged friend.

Meanwhile, Rin, whose presence there has been more of a shock than anything, looks at Bachira with half of an annoyed frown, muttering lowly, "This is ridiculous. Remind me again why I'm with you idiots?"

"Kunigami," Barou answers with a shrug as he passes him by because really, Kunigami's power of making even the proudest of warriors with the coldest of hearts melt can't be underestimated.

"Fair enough," Rin acquiesces with a murmur before Nagi crashes into him after tripping on something, sending both of them tumbling down in a heap of bodies and curses loud enough to echo around the neighborhood.

From the doorway, Kunigami laughs.

And just like that, their simple house comes alive and becomes home.

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

Barou knows that Kunigami's friends are crazy.

What he doesn't know is that their particular brand of insanity is contagious. His ignorance lasts until Kunigami presents him with an idea so randomly absurd.

"Let’s paint flowers," Kunigami says one day, pointing excitedly at the plain walls of their new home.

Barou is so startled with the suggestion that all he manages is a choked, "What?"

“I like sunflowers," Kunigami responds as if it's the explanation Barou's asking for.

To be fair, Barou doesn't think it's a good idea. He really doesn't. 

He has never painted a house before, and he's sure Kunigami hasn't either, but he doesn't tell Kunigami that, partly because he doesn't want to admit weakness — not even to the one person he will trust with all of them — but mostly because Kunigami's face is set with stony determination. Barou knows from experience that it's hard, almost to the point of impossibility, to tell Kunigami no when he has that kind of look. Besides, Barou has been planning to repaint the house anyway, so despite his doubts, he decides why not. 

Barou knows he's made the right decision when, after buying all the painting tools he thinks they will need, Kunigami beams at him as if he's hung all the stars in the night sky.

Their two weeks after is then spent being covered in shades of yellows and greens and browns. 

Of course, the end result is not as satisfactory as Barou hoped. The sunflowers are ugly and crudely drawn, every detail uneven and disproportionate, and if Barou is being honest, half of them don't even look like sunflowers.

"Shouei," Kunigami begins when he's finished painting the last petal.

"Hm?" Barou prompts.

"This is really ugly," Kunigami critiques their work, tilting his head from different angles as if it will change the outcome of their amateur work.

"Yeah," Barou agrees because he's never one for lying, not even to Kunigami,  _ especially _ to Kunigami, and he says things when he sees fit.

"I like it," Kunigami smiles, flowery and yellow-tinted like the smudge of paint on his right cheek, obviously pleased with what they accomplished.

Barou pauses for half of a heartbeat.

"Me, too."

And Kunigami  _ glows _ .

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

Barou has received a lot of stares in his life, some awed, most full of terror, but what doesn't fail to make him sweat bullets is the look of disappointment from Kunigami.

It is the kind of stare that he wakes up to one particular morning, and as dramatic as it sounds, Barou's world gets thrown out of its axis, which is why Barou finds himself wracking his brain for information, trying to figure out why he's getting the look nobody wants to be at the receiving end of.

He's not quite sure why Kunigami thinks Barou deserves  _ the stare _ . Barou's certain he hasn't done —

Ah.

"I forgot to do the dishes last night," Barou says in lieu of a morning greeting.

Kunigami nods, "You forgot to do the dishes."

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

They disagree sometimes, both of them so used to getting what they want that they forget to budge.

Barou wants to get a cat.

Kunigami says he wants a dog instead.

They end up fighting about it, the very first argument between them since they moved in together.

It's a stupid thing what they're fighting over, even more ridiculous is that their tempers are flaring because of it in the first place, but Barou knows the extent of both of their pride. He refuses to swallow it first, so he snarls, and Kunigami snaps in response.

It's bitter, this childish argument.

They don't talk for hours — angry yet still so very careful, knowing not to say anymore; they've said enough, and pushing forward will only cause a kind of damage that's irreparable, a chasm they might not be able to close — and the bitterness begins to feel more like a burn.

"Let's get a dog and a cat," Kunigami declares after six hours of ignoring him, and although there's an illusion of steel in his voice, there's a quality to it that is  _ begging _ , and Barou realizes he doesn't like the sound of it in this context.

"Sounds good to me," Barou says truthfully. "Sorry for losing my temper," he adds because he knows why Kunigami sounds the way he does, and Barou really hates arguing with Kunigami, too.

"I didn't mean to snap, too. Sorry."

No words pass between them after their apologies are said, but the atmosphere between them is no longer tense and awkward, and Barou feels the poison ivy curled around his heart finally loosen its grip, shriveling and disappearing completely when Kunigami speaks again.

"We're idiots."

Barou nods, "We are."

"But we're okay?"

"We're definitely okay," Barou answers, knowing that Kunigami needs his words to solidify what they already know before the question is even voiced. 

He watches Kunigami's face begin to clear, and when all the shadows are gone from his features, Barou takes his hand, pulls him to his feet, and says, "Come on. Let's grab my laptop and find a cat and a dog we both like."

"Yeah. Let's do that," Kunigami agrees.

He's smiling now, and Barou finally feels his heart settle into calmness.

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

It's Kunigami's turn to cook, and as graceful as he is on the field, there's a certain clumsiness in his movements that is present whenever he's not wearing his football uniform.

Barou knows Kunigami's notorious bout of clumsiness has made itself known once again when he hears a loud yelp coming from the kitchen where Kunigami is currently preparing their breakfast, and he hurries to where his partner is, already having an idea of what has happened.

The first thing Barou sees when he enters the kitchen is Kunigami standing by the sink.

The next thing he sees is blood.

"Did you accidentally cut yourself?" Barou asks, already moving to grab the first aid kit.

"The knife slipped," Kunigami explains, letting Barou take his hand to inspect the damage done to his index finger, only wincing slightly when Barou pours the disinfectant on the wound.

"How is it?" Kunigami asks him.

"It's pretty deep. Thankfully, it doesn't need stitches," Barou answers truthfully as he finishes wrapping up Kunigami's finger, the once white bandage quickly turning red. 

"That's good."

"I'm still booting you off the kitchen today though," Barou tells him. "I want you to keep that hand out of the water for a bit."

"But it's my turn to cook," Kunigami reasons, and Barou watches as Kunigami's lips slip into a ghost of a frown.

"It's alright. You can take cooking duty tomorrow," Barou assures Kunigami in hopes of lifting his mood to no avail.

If anything, Kunigami's frown deepens, and Barou lets out a sigh that's a little exasperated and plenty fond.

"How about we cook together today? I can do the cutting, and you can do everything else," Barou suggests instead, wondering when he has become so weak.

He decides it doesn't matter when Kunigami, just as they're finishing cooking, gives his shoulder an affectionate nudge and says, "I think I like it better when we do things together."

With a playful huff, Barou ruffles Kunigami's hair, "Help me cook tomorrow?"

"Okay!"

This time, Barou smiles.

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

Barou hates general cleaning.

What he doesn't hate is waking up to Kunigami's face hovering over his. If Barou wants to be sappy as a maple tree, he'll say Kunigami looks like an angel with how his face is half illuminated by the rays of the rising sun.

It's almost perfect, waking up like this.

Almost because Barou knows what day it is — he's always been fine with cleaning but not the general kind — and he's definitely not looking forward to what's waiting for him once he gets up.

"What time is it?" He asks if only to stall for time and prolong his stay on the comfort of their bed.

"It's time for you to get up and help me clean," Kunigami says almost mischievously, tugging on one of his arms.

"Pass," Barou tries.

"Denied," comes the immediate reply, and Barou groans when he feels another gentle tug on his arm.

"Five more minutes," Barou negotiates.

"I'll let you eat some pudding for breakfast," Kunigami offers, the tone of his voice suggesting that he knows exactly what Barou's weakness is.

"That's cheating, and you know it," Barou lets out a noise that sounds like half a whine.

"You're saying you don't want it? It's custard flavored, too."

"I'm up. I'm up," Barou grumbles as he sits up, giving Kunigami the stink-eye, "I swear, I'll get you back for this."

Kunigami grins, "Looking forward to it."

"At least pretend to be threatened."

"Kinda hard to when your hair's all messy like this," Kunigami reasons, and Barou lets out a pleased sigh when Kunigami reaches out to help him tie his hair into a messy bun. "Now, come on and have breakfast."

"Custard pudding?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

So one sweet breakfast later and Barou finds himself dragging the heavy blanket he has taken from their room to hang it on their porch.

"Maybe I should just throw this away," Barou muses out loud, glaring at the large wool blanket he's currently airing. It doesn't even look pretty, but for some reason, Kunigami adores it.

"Do that, and I'll make you sleep on the couch."

Barou lets out a horrified gasp and whirls to look at Kunigami, eyes blown wide.

"Oi!"

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

They talk about marriage sometimes.

"Which ring do you like?" Barou inquires as he scrolls down his phone, Kunigami sitting beside him, close enough that their knees are touching.

The two of them are looking at the website selling engagement and wedding rings, a whim that's gotten quite serious and intimate as the minutes' tick by.

"I don't need a ring," Kunigami says, and Barou watches as a pale pink glow travels from the bridge of Kunigami's nose to the tips of his ears. "My answer will be the same even without a ring"

"I know, but I want to do it right," Barou confesses, "You deserve it."

"But this is right, isn't it?" Kunigami hums, and Barou can feel the gentleness of his warmth as Kunigami rests his head on his shoulder.

Barou turns a bit, pressing a kiss on the crown of Kunigami's head, "What do you mean?"

Kunigami smiles, tender-hearted and bright-eyed.

"It's always right if it's you."

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

Barou still gets a ring.

He gets a ring, but he also gets something else.

Barou's walking back from shopping when he finds it hanging behind the glass window of a small and dusty antique store.

The wind chime, that is.

Usually, such a thing will not catch Barou's attention, but he remembers Kunigami saying that he's always liked wind chimes and the sound they make —

"They remind me of our old family house," Kunigami tells him when he asked, and Barou recalls the way his eyes glazed over with a certain sort of sentimental brightness.

— so Barou finds himself inside the store, admiring the lone wind chime that has caught his eyes.

It's a simple-looking thing, yet Barou can tell that there's a level of care and adoration in the way it is made because instead of the usual wooden disc, the chime's suspension platform is a carving of a small cabin, each small detail made precisely by skilled hands, the five wind tubes all look hand-crafted as well, and the sail is a carved image of a key.

Barou likes it instantly.

He doesn't doubt that Kunigami will, too.

So after paying a rather hefty price for the old wind chime, Barou heads home with a satisfied smile.

"You look happy. Did something good happen?" Kunigami greets his arrival with a look of curiosity, head-tilted to the side in question.

"Help me hang this on the porch?" Barou asks and answers at the same time, showing Kunigami his bigger, more recent purchase, eager to see how Kunigami will react.

As if on cue, Kunigami's eyes widen, and Barou can almost feel his rising excitement when he asks, "You got us a wind chime?"

"Yeah. You like it?"

"It's pretty," Kunigami says, softly, reverently, and Barou feels his satisfaction rise.

"I also got you something else, but that's for later. Much, much later," Barou promises, playing with the golden band tuck safely in his pocket.

"What is it?" Kunigami eyes him with intrigue.

Barou shakes his head, "It's a secret."

Kunigami continues to stare, his eyes rounding into something pleading.

"I'm not telling you even if you make that face," Barou huffs out a soft laugh, "Just think of it as a surprise."

Kunigami's gaze doesn't waver.

"Really, I'm not telling you."

"Alright, I get it," Kunigami shakes his head in defeat, but the pouty look on his face only lasts for a second before he's moving to give Barou a kiss on the cheek, "Welcome home, Shouei."

"It's nice to be home."

ﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･ﾟ･✻･ﾟﾟ･✻･

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> \- I miss writing for BaroKuni, haha/
> 
> \- All the proof (a.k.a. pieces of trivia about Barou) leads to the conclusion that he is, in fact, a softie outside of football. I mean, come on. Having pudding as his favorite food because his mom bought it for him when he had a cold back when he was a kid? Soft. Listening to Utada Hikaru? Soft. Calling his parents with the -chan honorific? SOFT.
> 
> \- Kunigami is the most powerful person in the world. It's a fact.
> 
> \- Barou is so WEAK for Kunigami. 
> 
> \- No, really. Barou is so freaking whipped for Kunigami. I cannot.
> 
> \- Barou's also scared of THE LOOK.
> 
> \- And yes, I, in fact, did not write the proposal scene.
> 
> \- This is an invitation for all BaroKuni (or Blue Lock fans) to come chat with me. I'm [@novacchi](https://twitter.com/novacchi) in twitter. I promise, I don't bite.
> 
> \- Now, excuse me as I cry about BaroKuni.
> 
> \- lol


End file.
